710 STONE-CHAT WARBLER. 



ferruginous ; belly lighter : tail black, slightly 

 tipped and edged with pale brown : the legs 

 black : the female has no black on the head, 

 which is of the same dusky colour as the back ; 

 on the throat is an obscure dusky spot ; and the 

 white on the wings is wanting : the male has the 

 head varied with black and rufous the first year. 

 It appears that a partial migration takes place 

 with this species, as it is not so abundant in the 

 winter as in the summer : it is a solitary species, 

 chiefly confined to dreary moors and commons, 

 where it sits on the uppermost sprays of furze 

 and brambles : it builds its nest at the roots of 

 bushes, or beneath stones ; it is formed of moss 

 and bents, lined with hair and feathers ; and the 

 parent birds use such art to decoy any person 

 away, that it is rarely found, except by chance : its 

 eggs are blue, faintly spotted with rufous at the 

 larger end ; they are five in number : it is a very 

 early breeder, eggs being often found in the nest 

 by the middle of April : the flight of this bird is 

 low, and it is almost continually on the wing, flying 

 from bush to bush, alighting only for a few se- 

 conds. The note is compared by Buffon to the 

 word ouistrata frequently repeated ; but Dr. La- 

 tham compares it to the clicking of two stones 

 together, from whence it is probable its name is 

 derived. 



It is common in many parts of Europe ; and 

 Buffon asserts that it departs south in September. 



